RUNWAY: Givenchy SS12

Riccardo Tisci's goal for SS12 was to create a collection that wasn't as dark as his previous collections, he said after the show. He said he heard too many comments about the Givenchy man being too moody, too dark, and too brooding. The result of that concerted effort to lighten up the feel of the line was this gloriously lush "Birds of Paradise" collection, with a simple color palette of hunter green, crisp whites, and mint. Thankfully, Tisci's signature tailoring, styling, and fabrications were not lost in this lighter, more Earth-y Givenchy man.

Though some say that the familiarity of this collection and Tisci's last womenswear collection is a bit repetitive, we would argue that other designers constantly use inspiration from their mens or womens line when creating the other: Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons for Jil Sander come to mind. This is truly one of Tisci's strongest work, bravo to him and the entire Givenchy atelier.